The Mind of the Stars
1) Name of the order = The Mind of the Stars 2) (Preferred) alignment of members - Neutral Good. The Mind of the Stars recognizes the need for subversive techniques in some of their intelligence gathering. They aren't wanton about it, and must technically obtain warrants from the local judiciary to enter a premiseses without permission, but a little trespass/breaking and entering isn't oathbreaker material when the circumstances demand a swift and immediate response. They would never engage in torture or blackmail to coerce a suspect, and avoid lethal force against any non-undead/fiend, including monstrous humanoids like trolls/orcs/goblins/etc. 3) Patron deity = Pelor 4) Mission - To shed light on the evil that hides in the shadows so that they may be judged, and commit unknown evil no more. They are an order dedicated to rooting out evil that isn't readily apparent such as secret societies, politicians scheming behind the scenes, demons working in the shadows to corrupt and use people as pawns. They are behind the scenes players, or rather, they bring the behind the scenes into the scene. Perhaps similar to a modern day intelligence agency, except that they prefer to expose and bring to justice. A fine line for a good order 5) Symbol/heraldry - The lowest rank is a comet and the next rank is a two tailed comet and so on until they get to 5 tails then it becomes a sun with 5 rays and a new ray is added at you go up in rank. 6) Why did they form? A group of traveling adventurers had helped a nearby kingdom quell a rebellion and restore a king to his throne. It wasn't until after it was all said and done that the group found out Lord Mahazael was a vampire. Trey Dovin, the parties priest of Pelor, was appalled that he had helped a vampire regain such power. Realizing he couldn't convince his friends to try and correct their mistake, especially since Mahazael didn't do anything outright "wrong", Trey decided to stay behind in the nearby mountains to prepare for the "inevitable". Slowly Trey gathered like minded individuals to watch over the evil kingdom, to make sure its taint would not spread. 7) Where are they founded? Could be more general rather than specific - The order was founded in a cathedral hidden high among the peaks of a mountain, it was in this cathedral dedicated to Pelor that several archbishop's, paladin's, and clerics gathered. To create a symbol of Pelor's might and righteousness. This cathedral is known as the Pillar of Light. Many devout followers of Pelor gather there to make their offerings, as it is the first place to see sunrise in the region. For those who follow Pelor and his teachings, this place has become a sacred and most holy place. So much so, that it is often recommended that followers make a pilgrimage to the Pillar of Light at least once in their lifetime. The cathedral stands tall among the peaks, with soaring sixty foot spires and a main hall of worship with fifty foot vaulted ceilings. The structure of the cathedral is made with ivory white marble with small flowing lines of black mica. The beauty of the cathedral itself is only surpassed by the morning sunrise. The legacy of Pelor. a) The ritual for induction: each initiate must take a torch into a cave near the Pillar of Light. To light the beacon at the end of the cave, after defeating the darkness inside, and it lights the torches throughout and to the mountains above to signal back to the Pillar of Light that the initiate was successful. 8x) Tenets - the principles they adhere to while performing their mission a) Preserve Life: Even evil beings must be afforded the chance to repent for their crimes, before they are condemned to the eternal darkness of the afterlife. The dead cannot repent. Pelor is stronger when any being willingly enters his light. b) The Mind of the Stars are to seek out, gather, and then protect several lost relics from an earlier age. These relics are specifically named in a tome that is known only to the leaders of the order. Each relic plays a crucial part in sustaining Pelor's power and status as an elder deity. While these relics are important to the potency of Pelor, they also have a practical use in the material realm. When each relic is combined with a prayer ritual they are known to aid those in a time of great need. c) Each member of the Order is mandated to only stay at the Pillar of Light, or any Mind of the Stars establishment, for eight months at a time. From there they must set out to seek out evil, and new members to join the order. They have to come back to an establishment every two years, and stay for another eight months to reconnect with the Order before setting back out into the world. 9x) Notable figures in the order a) The reformed vampire general of Mahazael, Neg'Thul, who joined arms with the mind of the stars in defeating his former master. Some say he still lives and is travelling and recruiting members for a branch of the order consisting of the reformed children of the night (vampires, werewolves, etc) b) Trey Dovin, a human priest of Pelor, who grew up in a small village. He devoted his life to Pelor when a troop of priests stopped a large werewolf attack on his village. He left his village with the priests and learned the ways of Pelor. Many years later, Trey joined a group of adventures after they saved him when his troop was ambushed on the road. They traveled together for many years until they reached Lord Mahazael's kingdom and restored him to the throne, much to the dismay of Trey. He parted ways with his friends to build The Mind of the Stars in order to combat Lord Mahazael. He didn't live long enough to see the vampire's fall, dying of old age. He has no tomb at the Pillar of Light cathedral, as it said that when he died sitting on the cathedral's balcony, basking in the glory of the rising sun, he too rose with the rising sun into the realm of Pelor. c) Hurog, the reformed troll, was as most any troll. However, he found one of the “Rays of Pelor” that had been lost to the Order for many years. This particular Ray is an intelligent item that helped Hurog transcend normal troll intelligence and become one of the Order because of his ability to infiltrate places that no other member could even imagine. 10x) Historic achievements a) The Mind of the Stars were graced with Pelor's blessings during what is known as a Sun-war in which a kingdom ruled by the vampire Lord Mahazael attempted to spread their corruption and awaken the evernight. The Mind of the Stars were instrumental in the victory with their blades that shone like the sun whose rays incinerated the undead and purified the putrid lands. The order were gifted 10 swords of varying sizes called "The Rays of Pelor", these swords are wielded by the most powerful of the order. b) Exposed a doppelganger who had taken control of a kingdom by murdering the ruler and shapeshifting into his place. c) Reclaimed a holy site of Pelor that had been defiled and inhabited by a medusa. The site is a blessed grotto where during holy days to Pelor a beacon of light shines down upon the pool of water within. It is said that the blessed water was poured on those statues who were victims of the medusa and they were restored to life. It is also said also that the faithful who drink of the pool on a holy day of Pelor when the beacon shines are magically blessed and their diseases or illnesses are cured. d) After the Mind of the Stars was able to reform Neg’Thul those he had sired were no longer vampires. Pelor himself stepped in to undo all of the lycanthropy that Neg’Thul had been the direct cause of. Neg’Thul was left with his curse of lycanthropy to serve as penance, and to be able to assist the order for countless years. Category:People Category:Paladin Order